Balancing Your Student Finances

Balancing your student finances can feel like a circus tightrope act. Don’t sweat; you’re not up there without a safety net. Here are some tips to help with student finances:

Be careful with your credit card. On one hand, it’s good to start building credit history. On the other hand, credit spending can quickly spiral out of control.

Create a budget and stick to it. Find out how much you make and then how much you spend per month. Of your spending, figure out what is necessary and what is luxury (Sorry, no matter how you spin it, beer is not a necessity).

Save early and often. Even if you put just a little away at a time, it can help you out a lot down the road.

Borrow as little as possible. In addition to loans, there are many scholarships and grants available to all types of students. If you do have to borrow, make sure you understand all costs and terms before agreeing to anything.

Use coupons. Sites like Groupon offer great deals that can save you money.

Use technology to your advantage. You can get alerts for credit cards, bank accounts and other payments to help stay on top of it. This way, you can avoid unnecessary late fees.